Tuesday, June 29, 2010

We love just sitting quietly beside the rushing of the waves, watching the few people walking along the peaceful promenade by Leling Beach. Quiet is such a luxury these days and we appreciate these moments of serenity. It clears my mind, and seems to blow away all the negative energies that pile up as our everyday activities shake our soul.

Location: Leling Beach, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, Mindanao Island

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Fry collecting fisherman

Washing away the sand

Abandon

Dawn's early light adorns the horizon as shelends her warmth to the storm-ravaged sea.

Tempestuous waves of the fore-night, now tame,roll their way to the shore, then in silence recede.

I stand alone with bare feet in the sand and seekcomfort from the cold ocean water's caress.

By turns, my troubles I cast to the surf and thenpray that this time they, too, will regress.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Along the eastern coast of Hagonoy,Davao del Sur is a resort not often visited even by the locals. They call it Leling Beach (pronounced Lee-ling).

This serene enclave is part of the municipality of Hagonoy, Davao del Sur which has seen a glimpse of growth under the stead of newly re-elected Mayor Calida. From Digos City, Leling is some 20 kilometers left turn from the main highway. The road may not be asphalted, but it is serviceable (though I'd imagine a rather muddy journey when it rains).

We passed by a smattering of shanties that slid by into placid stretches of fish ponds at both sides of the road. Not long after, there was an entrance block that collected a measly PhP10 per vehicle. Then we were ushered into a row of pink colored cottages (PhP100). You could park from the small spaces right in front of the cottages or find your way closer to the beach, though it's going to be crampy between dwarf coconut trees.

The promenade directly facing the beach is well planned - a side railing has been in place, as well as a concrete breakwater - which must have cost a lot. (The government of Hagonoy is said to be footing the bill for these improvements.) I was told that this used to be a neglected hole in the wall, with very few visitors. But this has to change very soon. The concrete promenade is not quite finished but the paucity of people is a pleasure to behold!

During our visit, the waves were harsh as they slapped hard against the breakwater. From a distance, you could see the docked cargo ships from Malalag Wharf. There were fishermen trying to collect bangus (milkfish) fries that they collect for culture. I was in awe of their ability to do so. How do you really spot 2-5 cm "baby fish" from a raging sea. That has to require talent and expertise. Leling Beach was one of my favorite places in the province of Davao del Sur.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

These are images taken during our visit at Villa Isabel Resort in Barangay Balasinon in the town of Malalag, Davao del Sur. We will let the images speak for this post. Please visit the previous post for necessary information and contact number.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Villa Isabel Resort peacefully rests at a sleepy fishing village in the town of Malalag in Davao del Sur. I was told that there used to be a sign board to advertise the resort's direction from the main road, but this is nowhere found. I stopped a couple of kids bearing candies they were to peddle, but they didn't have an idea what I was talking about. It was surprising because from there, Villa Isabel was just a 50 meter turn. When I saw the gate, I looked around. No one seems to be visiting. I reached down my pocket for a peso, and started knocking the gate with it. The door bell didn't seem to be working.

When someone finally peeked, it was such a relief; I thought I'd have to leave. The compound is an oasis of peace. There's a 2-story bungalow that functions as the main hall. At the center of the complex is a swimming pool, with the statue of a white lady carrying a vase.

The resort, which is a part of Barangay Balasinon, is owned by a Dr. Golinggay. And the resort's famous guests include singer-actress Vina Morales and her younger sister Shaina Magdayao whose faded photos are on prominent display at the check-in counter. Earlier talks circulated that the Morales sisters are relatives of the owner, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

I actually loved roaming this small compound. It had an acute sense of intimacy. The seas were nowhere to be enjoyed as it was low tide, and for a hundred meters or so, all you could see was a puddle of dark sand. You could buy soft drinks at their canteen, but don't expect anything else. The clincher is, you're not allowed to bring in food, though they don't even sell them - thus if you're planning to stay through lunch, you'd end up hungry. It was fun roaming the resort on my own though.

The good news: ridiculously cheap entrance and use of swimming pool.

PhP10 for adults, PhP5 for kids - entrance fee

PhP50 per person for the use of the swimming pool

Once inside, you are free to use the lovely cottages facing the sea. Didn't I say "cheap"? Just a kilometer or two is Eagle's Eye BeachResort where a cottage with no amenities will cost you PhP250. Of course Eagle's Eye's owners will have you believe that they have everything from a shower hall, short order service, to the requisite toilet, but if you're the day tourist, you would need a bit of sleuthing to find these so-called amenities for they are nowhere in sight! When I needed to pee, I was pointed to the bushes! :)This is not the case in Villa Isabel which provides more than the basic requisites of a resort. Their facilities are quite impressive - they have spotless shower halls and very clean toilets, not to mention the fact that they have a swimming pool! "Simple rural life" here translates to a mere P10 entrance and P50 pool fee and you can frolic all around a very safe and cloistered resort. Now compare that to Eagel's Eye (just 1 to 2 kilometer south of Villa Isabel) which asks for P150 for a roofless concrete table - and nothing else! You don't need half a brain which option to choose!

If you'd rather have the place to yourself, for parties and the like, contact +63-918-5993590 for reservations, although I do not think you'd need a reservation for a simple visit. Cottages - AC, with cable televisions - are available for overnight stays.

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This is Eye in the Sky sipping coffee at the Dochula Pass 10, 500 feet above sea level. The mountain pass is located 30 minutes away from Thimpu, the Bhutanese capital. The pass offers breath-taking views of the snow capped Himalayan ranges.

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Paris Charles De Gaulle's Predeparture Area is an eye-candy.

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Revelry at San Agustin Church

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Serenity at the Gap Farming Resort, Davao City

The Mekong as public bathroom in Don Kong, Siphandon's biggest island in South Laos.

Taj Mahal in Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh: Every bit as stunning!

Rowing down Buriganga River from Sadarghat, one of the most sublime experiences to experience in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh.

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Wooden pathway from the glass chapel on a hill to the beach in Pico de Loro in Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines.

Yangon, Myanmar (Rangoon, Burma) - One early morning, I took a walk around the city when I suddenly noticed a parade of novice nuns (female monks) making their way from one block to the next. I was fascinated with their shaved head and the exuberance of pink and orange. For some reason, I just followed them, like a tail at the end of a queue. Before reaching their temple, this girl suddenly turns around and - naughtily makes a face! Snap!

Sunset and the Temples of Bagan. Boasting of more than 2,000 preserved temples built during the 6th century, Bagan outnumbers Angkor Wat's temples several times over. Bagan is Myanmar's most arid, with desert-like terrain, located some 600 km north of the former capital of Yangon. It is a 12-15 hour bus ride. This was from the Old Bagan area. My hotel was in Nyaung U. I hired a horse-drawn carriage to roam.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan's Blue City. This was taken from the Mehrangar Fort which sits atop a 150 meter hill. The fort is a whole city in itself, and would take 3-4 hours on a fast roving.

My camel Deeshka & his owner Dipsingh - I was waiting for the sunset at the Thar Desert which is located at the fringes of Jaisalmer, a boundary between India and Pakistan. It was a comfortable, wobbly 2-hour ride in the calm & quiet sand dunes.

Old Sukhothaii - 6 hours south of Chiangmai, 6 hours north of Bangkok, 1 hour from Phitsanulok

A tea house in Hangzhou, China

Shanghai, China - just a few walks from Xintiandi's Taicang Road

Inside Wat Niwet - Gothic Catholic-Inspired Buddhist Temple, Thailand

Maritime Museum, Old Batavia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Grande Island, Subic

On the way to Pau Gu Grotto, Thien Cung, Ha Long

Cave of the Heavenly Palace

Thien Cung Cave

2 boatmen, Ha Long Bay, Halong City

Ho Chi Minh Museum (their great hero's memorabilias)

dolls, temple of literature

Hanoi

are you lonesome - hanoi

selling what?

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

The Bayon (mysterious smiling faces looking down on you anywhere you turn)

Ta Prohm entrance

Banteay Srey (said to be the most beautiful coz of its pinkish color) - this is the "girly temple", and though it is pretty in reddish-pink, the area doesn't match the scope and grandeur of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Keo, Preah Khan, etc. It is also very far from the central temples, about 37kms from Siem Reap. I absolutely enjoyed the ride going there. Wind against my face, sun-soaked fields, and my tuktuk.

The Bayon's smiling faces - some 200 of them

Ta Prohm - nature vs. man-made structures

An alley at Angkor Wat. It took me a good 15 minutes to decongest this hallway just to get this shot. I was competing with a french man who wouldn't leave. At any time of the day, these temples are filled with tourists, bus-loads! The temples open at 5AM and close at 5PM. Other far-flung temples in the vicinity of the jungles like Sra Srang are less populous - unguarded and dangerous (landmines, local hoodlums waiting for lone trekkers, etc.). Tourists can visit such sites at their own risk.

Angkor Thom - kunyari 1204 BC. He he...

off the beaten track

Notre Dame Cathedral - near the main post office, Saigon. Gloomy day and I wasn't happy with the colors I was getting. My solution - good old sepia.